Automatic fuse-block and relay protector.



T B. JONES. AUTOMATIC FUSE BLOCK AND RELAY PROTEGTCR. APPLICATION FILEDNOV. 4, 1912.

1 ,O54;,559, Patented Feb. 25, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

T. B. JONES.

AUTOMATIC FUSE BLOCK AND RELAY PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1912. 1 954,559, Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

nwml oz .L m a THOMAS BENTON JONES, F DOME, ARIZONA.

AUTOMATIC FUSE- BLOCK AND RELAY PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

Application filed November 4, 1912. Serial No. 729,406.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS BENTON JONES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dome, in the county of Yuma and State of Arizona, haveinvented certain new and useful 'Improvements in Automatic Fuse-Blockand Relay Protectors, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying draw This inventionrelates to an automatic fuse blockand relay protector and has for itsobject the production of an efiicient fuse block which willautomatically reset itself 5 after one fuse has burned out, one of thefeatures being the automatic ground which is brought into actionwhenever a fuse wire is burned or blown out and stays thus groundeduntil another fuse wire replaces 0 the burned one, which then releasesthe ground.

Another object of this invention is the production of a simple andefiicient means whereby the fuses while inactive will be 5 protectedagainst burning.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists of certainnovel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as-Will behereinafter fullydescribed and claimed.

" In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front ele- .vation of'the fuse blockpartly in section. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the fuseblock. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view i of the fuse block. Fig. 4 is atransverse sectional view through two of the plugs connected by means ofa fuse wire. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of the grounding plate. Fig.6 is a detail perspective of the protector gate. Fig. 7 is adiagrammatic view of the .electrical circuits involved in connectionwith the present invention. Fig. 8 is an enlarged section taken on line8-8 of Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is a flat elevation partly in section of amodified form of the invention. Fig. 10 is a central longitudinalsection of the structure illustrated in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a sectiontaken on line 1111 of Fig. 9.

By referring to the drawings it will be seen that 1 designates the boxor body of the fuse block which is provided with a channel 2 extendingalong each side of the box 1. Plugs 3 are slidably mountedwithin thechannels 2 and may be made of any desired shape, said plugs being showncircular in cross section in Fig. 1. These plugs 3 are preferably formedof insulating material and are provided with transversely extendmgapertures 4 in which apertures fit the respective ends of the. fuse wire5. The ends of the fuse'wire 5 are held in-engagement with the plugs 3by means of binding screws 6. The binding screw 6 working in a threadedmetal tube which is firmly set in plugs 3. The transversely extendingaper-. t-ures 4 in plugs 3 pass through the threaded.

metal tube in which binding screw 6 works. The end of the tube extendinginto the plug 3 being solid as far as the aperture. The transverseaperture being a part of and forming a straight transverse aperturethrough plug 3 into which fit the respective ends of fuse wire 5 beingheld in engagement by binding screw 6. These plugs 3 are placed oneabove the other as illustrated in the drawings so as to successivelytake up their correct position as soon as one of the fuse wires havebecome burned. A longitudinal extending groove 7 is formed upon one sideof each of the channels 2'so as to allow the fuse wires 5 to passtherethrough.' It will, therefore, be seen that these plugs 3 may easilyslide to their correct position as soon as one of the fuse wires shouldbecome blown out or burned.

A hinged gate 8 is mounted between the side walls 9 of the channels 2and has its stub shafts l0 journaled in the diagonally extending slots11. A rib 12 is formed upon the rear wall of the box 1, against whichrests the lower end 13 of the hinge gate 8.

Also a rib is formed on the wall of the channel 2 to prevent the hingegate 8 from turning only suiHcient-ly to allow the fuse wire to passthrough. This gate 8 is adapt ed to prevent the fuse wires which areinactive from becomingburned, should the active fuse become burned. Thegate 8, how ever, is so mounted as to allow the same to be swung out ofposition so as to permit the passage of the fuse plugs and fuse wirebelow the gate. As soon as the fuse wire has passed below the gate, itwillbe seen that the gate 8 will return to its normal position.

In the foregoin description it will be seen that a very e cient andautomatic fuse block has been produced for supplying the fuses to theircorrect position automatically.

A cover 14: is placed over the box' 1 and the upper end of the box 1 isclosed by means of a rib 15 which is firmly held in position by meansofbinding screws. 16. It

lever 21 is, therefore,

,of the arm 23.

will be seen that the box may be loaded by removing the lid 15 andplacing additional plugs 3 and 5 therein.

A grounding plate 17 is screwed to the box' 1 by means of the insulatedbinding post 18 and this grounding plate 17 is provided with a stud 19to which the grounding wire 20 is attached. A spring lever 21 isconnected to the grounding plate 17 and carries at its upper end aninsulating block 22 which is firmly brought into engagement with one ofthe fuse wires 5. The spring held out of engagement with the contactingarm 23. The binding post 18 as well as the binding post 24 is providedwith an upwardly extending finger 25 and the fuse wire 5 rests acrossthe 25 in such a manner as to support the plugs 3 in their correctposition. carbon plate 26 is screwed to the rear wall of the box 1 andshields the enlarged end 27 of the arm'23. It will, therefore, be seenthat the arms 21 and 23 will be held out of engagement with each other,but as soon as the fuse wire 5 should melt, the spring arm 21 would bebrought against the carbon plate 26 which covers the enlarged end 27 Thecarbon block 26 prevents fusing between the arms 21 and 23 when returnedto their open position after having been brought into contact by theblowing out of the previously engaged fuse wire 5; The duty of the arms21 and 23 is to make a direct ground through the carbon plate 26 forcarrying off over charges of lightning. This automatic ground used inconnection with the fuse block will be used on power lines, automaticsignals and tele' graph for protecting relays and telephone lines forprotecting their equipment, the size and style of block and automaticground depending on the class of service for which it is to be used.

Under ordinary circumstances it will be understood when the currentpasses through the regular channel, the current will pass fromthe'generator 28 through the wire 29, binding 0st 18, finger 25 of thebinding post 18, use wire 5, finger 25 of the binding post 24, throughthe binding post 24 and back to the generator through the wire 30. Whenthe fuse wire 5 is burned, the circuit between the two fingers 25 willbe broken and the current will then pass from the generator through thewire 29, binding post 18, arm 23, arm 21, grounding plate 17 and to theground through the ground wire 20, thereby cutting off the currentthrough the ordinary circuit and sending the current to the ground.

As previously explained the plugs 3 may be made of any desired shape asfor instance, being made square as indicated at 31 in Fig. 11. Coilsprings 32 may be also employed to exert a pressure upon the plugs.tuting a support for and cause the same to feed provided the plugswould not efficiently feed through gravity owing to the position of thebox 1.

What is claimed is 1. A fuse box of the class described comprising abody, said body provided with a plurality of channels, plugs positionedwithin said channels, fuse wires connecting said plugs, contactingmembers crossing said fuse wire, and means co'ciperating with saidcontacting members for sending the current adapted to pass through saidfuse wire to the ground when said fuse wire becomes burned.

2. 'A fuse box (if the class described comprising a body,plugs slidablymounted within said body, fuse wires connecting said plugs, means forforming a contact with said fuse wires, and protector means carried bysaid body for protecting the inactive fuse wires.

3. A fuse box of the class described comprising a body, a plurality ofplugs positioned therein one upon the other, fuse wires connecting saidplugs in pairs, contacting means engaging said fuse wires and constisaidplugs and allowing said plugs to automatically drop from said body whensaid fuse wire becomes burned whereby the next succeeding fuse wire willbe brought into contact with said contacting members, and a protectormeans carried by said body for protecting the inactive fuse wires.

4. A fuse box of the class described comprising a body, a plurality ofplugs positioned therein one upon the other, fuse wires connecting saidplugs in pairs, contacting means engaging said fuse wires andconstituting a support for said plugs and allowing said plugs toautomatically drop from said body when said fuse wire becomes burnedwhereby the next succeeding fuse wire will be brought into contact withsaid contacting members, and a gate pivotall mounted upon said body forprotecting the inactive fuse wires and allowing the plugs v connectingthe opposite plugs and passingthrough said slots, and contacting meansengaging said fuse wires for supporting said plugs and fuse wires in anoperative position.

6. A fuse box of the class described comprising a body, said bodyprovided with a plurality of longitudinally extending channels, saidchannels provided with side walls having longitudinally extending slots,plugs positioned within said channels, fuse wires connecting theopposite plugs and passing through said slots, and contacting-meansengaging said fuse wires for supporting said plugs and fuse wires vin anoperative position, and spring means for exerting a downward pressureupon said plugs.

7.- A box of the class described comprising a body, said body providedwith a plu- 'rality' of channels, plugs Working in said channels, saidbody provided with side walls adjaoent'said channels, said side wallsprovided with longitudinally extending slots,

fuse wires engaging said plugs, binding posts carried by said body,upwardly extending contact fingers engaging said fuse Wires, a groundingplate carried by said body, a

spring arm carried by said body and en.-

gaging said grounding plate, a grounding arm connected to one of saidbinding posts, an insulating block carried by the upper end of saidspring arm and adapted to engage the fuse wire for holding said springarm and grounding arm out of contact, said spring arm and grounding armadapted to contact when said fuse Wire is broken, means for connectingsaid grounding plate With the ground whereby the current may pass fromone of said binding posts through said grounding arm, through saidspring arm, and through said grounding plate to the ground, and saidplugs adapted to automatically feed to an operative position.

8. A box of the class described comprising a body, said body providedwith a plurality of channels, plu 5 working in said channels, said bodyprovided with side walls adjacent said channels, said side wallsprovided' with longitudinally extending slots, fuse wires engaging saidplugs, binding posts carried by said body, upwardly extending contactfingers engaging said fuse wires, a

grounding plate'carried by said: body, a I spring arm carried by'saidbody and en gaging said, grounding plate, a grounding arm connected toone of said binding posts, an insulating block carried bythe upper endof said springarm and adapted to engage the fuse wire for holding saidspring arm o 5O and grounding arm out of contact, said spring arm andgrounding arm adapted to contact when-said fuse wire is broken, meansfor connecting said grounding'plate with.

